Chapter 33
Together
CHARLOTTE
We’d all migrated to the couch for a chat, as Plut put it. I had a sneaking suspicion they were more interested in interrogating us about our obliviousness to our own relationship status. Honestly, I was still reeling.
The fact that TJ was Jupiter, my best friend, was a shocker.
It did explain why I felt at ease with TJ faster than usual, but I’d always chalked it up to him being Tracy’s twin. Speaking of which, I turned to TJ.
“You’ve been my best friend since I was ten. How did I never know
you, or rather Jup, had a twin?”
“You didn’t?” he said.
“I talk about my sister a lot—like, every time she changes my game skin.”
“Well, yeah, I knew you had a sister, but not a twin,” I admitted.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned her being my twin. Nep, Plut, did you know about Tracy?” he asked the guys.
“Um, I don’t remember you mentioning a twin,” Plut said.
“Yeah, the only girls I remember are the ones you’d chat about postparties,” Nep chimed in, earning a glare from TJ.
“Why the glare? I was there for those conversations too, remember,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, I remember. I’m sorry,” he said quickly, aware that I’d heard all about his past escapades in vivid detail.
“Relax, I was also around for the chats about your weariness of one- night stands and the new girl you really liked. So, you’re forgiven,” I
reassured him with a sweet smile.
“Besides, it wasn’t nearly as bad as hearing the moaning and grunting from Nep’s mic almost every night.”
“At least you know what I bring to the table, baby. Want to take a spin?”
Nep said, waggling his eyebrows at me.
“Ew,” I said instantly.
“Back off my girl,” Jup retorted simultaneously.
“I’m your girl?” I asked, surprised.
“Well, um, I hope so,” he stammered.
“You do realize you never actually asked her that, right?” Plut pointed out.
“Oh, yeah, I guess I didn’t. Charlotte, will you officially be my girlfriend?” he asked.
“Or you could choose me,” Nep said, earning another glare from TJ.
“I’m just messing around, man.”
“Before you make a decision, I think you should know what Jup said about you in the car, Mars,” Plut said, causing me to look at him in
confusion. TJ turned his glare on Plut.
“Um, what did he say?” I asked.
“I didn’t say anything negative about her. What are you talking about?”
TJ demanded.
“He said he assumed you were a skinny white dude with bad skin. You know, the type that hides in his parents’ basement,” Plut said, and Nep burst into laughter.
“You think I have bad skin?” I asked, giving TJ a pouty look.
“Yeah, um, I did say that. I’m sorry, babe, but you have to understand— you never had many friends, always played games online, couldn’t talk to people. It kind of fits,” he said in self-defense.
“Well, why didn’t you think Nep or Plut were nerdy gamers?” I asked, puzzled.
“With the number of girls they’re always with?” he responded, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, I guess that’s true. No nerd could get that many girls,” I agreed.
“So, will you forgive me for stereotyping you and be my girlfriend?”
“Um, okay. I would love to be your girlfriend,” I said, grinning widely.
“So, I have one last question,” Nep said.
“When you were asking us about liking someone, and we said you can
tell because it gets hard…”
“Yeah, what about it?” I asked.
“Um, you’re a girl,” Nep said.
“Yeah…” I wasn’t sure where he was going with this.
“Um…well…you’re a girl—and it gets hard?” Nep continued.
For some reason, all of the guys were looking at me very intently, like there was a great puzzle to solve.
“Yeah… Why the confusion? You guys all know I have social anxiety.
It’s always hard to talk to people, and even exist around them—so that can’t really be a way to tell if I like someone.”
“OH,” Jup said.
“It’s hard to talk?” Nep said.
“Yeah, you know that.”
“So, that’s what you were talking about?” he confirmed again.
“Yeah, why? Is it not what you were talking about?” Did I misunderstand the conversation?
“Um, yeah, it was totally what we were talking about. Just checking,” he said quickly before changing the conversation topic.
How weird.
After that, we all hung out and chatted for a while longer, TJ holding my hand the entire time. Nep kept making inappropriate comments. That guy was such a goofball, but he was our friend. Once Plut had exhausted his list of questions, we decided to change into swimsuits and head down to the beach for lunch at a little beachside burger joint.
Nep insisted that I wear the suit he had given me again, and I gave in, rather than argue with him. It was a cute suit, after all. After I put it on, I remembered the necklaces I had bought for everyone and retrieved them from my bag. I put mine on and carried the other three downstairs to give to the guys. I was eager to see their reactions.
“Wow,” TJ said, as I walked into the room.
“I like the outfit, but why are you wearing Nep’s symbol?”
“Oh, apparently, he carries around bikinis in his bag. I really need to get a Mars one, though,” I told TJ.
“Or a Jupiter one,” TJ suggested, winking at me.
“I think I could handle that,” I told him.
“I like your necklace, by the way,” TJ commented.
“Oh, I have one for each of you guys too,” I told them with a smile, handing out the necklaces to each guy.
“I tried to get the most masculine ones I could find, so I hope you like them.”
“This is pretty cool. Thanks, Mars,” Nep told me, putting the necklace on.
“I finally understand why you’re so thoughtful. Must be a female thing.
First the super awesome Christmas present, and now this. You rock,” Plut told me.
“I love it, thanks, babe,” TJ said, giving me a quick kiss before putting his on.
“I am a little worried about you going out in public in that suit, though.”
“Why? I went out in it yesterday,” I replied.
“And every guy at the beach was checking you out,” Nep commented.
“Yeah, including Nep,” Plut added.
“No, he wasn’t,” I said, smacking Plut on the chest.
“Let’s go, I’m hungry.”
With the guys all laughing at me, we walked down to the beach to get burgers. Yum, I loved burgers.
We sat down on our towels and ate while chatting. Several of Plut’s friends from the day before came over and sat down with us. I thought TJ may not have liked how they were looking at me because he scooted a little closer and put his arm around me. I wasn’t going to complain. I enjoyed him holding me like that.
“So, we didn’t get to talk much yesterday, but I heard Frank call you Mars? That’s a unique name,” one of the guys said to me.
I may have been getting better at talking, but I did still have social anxiety, so responding to this guy was not really an option. I thought all my guys could tell that I wasn’t comfortable because Plut spoke up for me.
“Her actual name is Charlotte, but she is part of our team competing later this week. Mars is her gamer tag,” he explained.
“And these are the other members of our team, Jupiter and Neptune.”
“Oh, you’re all planets, that’s cool,” one of the guys said.
“Actually, it’s Roman gods. Our team name is The Romans,” Jupiter replied.
“That’s really cool. So you guys are all competing in the tournament?” the first guy asked.
“Yup,” Nep replied.
“Why is Charlotte not saying anything?” that same guy asked.
“Mars is pretty shy. Sorry, guys,” Plut explained.
“So, Jupiter, you weren’t here the other day. What’s going on with you
two?” the second guy asked.
“It seemed like she was with Neptune.”
“It did?” TJ asked, looking between the two of us.
“She made me lose, so I had to punish her,” was Nep’s only reply.
I found my voice.
“He dropped me on my butt in the water, and I couldn’t walk, so he had to carry me back to the house.”
“She talks!” the first guy said in shock, making me turn bright red and scoot closer to TJ.
“Anyway, Charlotte is my girlfriend,” TJ told the guys, and I didn’t miss his possessive tone. I also didn’t mind it since I wasn’t really comfortable around them.
“Oh, that’s cool, man. Do you guys want to play volleyball?” the second guy asked.
“I call NOT on Mars’s team!” Nep quickly yelled.
“HEY!” I exclaimed.
“What’d I miss?” TJ asked.
“Mars sucks at volleyball. That’s how she made him lose yesterday,”
Plut replied.
“Oh, well, I’ll be on your team, baby. I’m good enough to make up for you not being good,” TJ told me, pulling me in for a kiss.
We finished up our food and went over to the volleyball court. True to his word, TJ really was good enough to cover my lack of skills. He even managed to hit the ball softly to me so that I could hit it back, allowing me to participate but not hurt the team. It was so much fun.
Once we were finished playing—my team won—we went swimming for a bit. This really just consisted of Nep and Plut wrestling in the water while TJ held me to him and we floated around, talking. It was an amazing day, but before I knew it, it was time for us to head back to Plut’s house.
